Lynda Ditty

Tell us why you became a teacher

I became a teacher to help every child reach their full potential. I struggled as a student and I never wanted any child to feel dumb like I did. I wanted to spark a love of learning in every child that made learning exciting. I want to make learning fun so every child wants to come to school daily. I want EVERY child to feel loved, smart, and successful! I want to build relationships with parents and students. I want to build on every child's strengths and I pray they leave feeling loved!

Tell us about your most memorable teaching experience

I was teaching in an inclusion 3rd grade classroom and I am a firm believer in giving my students hands on experiences. I turned my classroom into an amazing ecosystem. The students researched an animal of their choice, wrote a report, and dressed up as their animal and did a short skit for parents. One of my students was a selective mute and he stood up that day and said, "I am a frog and I am an amphibian." He sat back down with a big smile. There were no dry eyes in the room. PRICELESS!

What would you do with the $25,000?

I would love to go to Alaska or Hawaii. I have never been on a vacation like that because we weee busy raising a family. I can't imagine having extra money to do something for myself. It would be fun to buy a few new outfits for school.